The Beninese Armed Forces has introduced new equipment into its inventory, including Cayman and MCAV-20 armoured personnel carriers from Belarus and the United Arab Emirates.
The new acquisitions were seen publicly for the first time during Benin’s independence day parade on 1 August. Nine Caymans and four Calidus MCAV-20s were seen during the parade, with the Caimans equipped with 12.7 mm Russian machineguns. It is believed the Caymans were delivered this year and the MCAV-20s last year.
Unveiled in 2015, the Cayman armoured vehicle weighs about 7 000kg and can carry six people including the crew. Its steel monocoque hull provides STANAG 4569 Level 3 ballistic protection and has a V-shaped hull for mine protection. The vehicle is powered by D-245.30E2 diesel engine delivering 170 hp, giving a maximum road speed of 110 km/h and 8 km/h in water.
Various weapons systems and turrets can be mounted, including an Adunok remotely controlled weapons station or machineguns and automatic grenade launchers. It can reach speeds of up to 110 km/h on ideal road conditions and has a range of 1 000 kilometres. Belarus is believed to have begun putting the vehicle into service with its military since May 2017, with manufacture by the 140th Repair Plant. Cote d’Ivoire also operates the Cayman, revealing the type in service from 2018.
The MCAV-20 is operated by a growing number of African nations, including Ethiopia, Mozambique, Sudan, Mauritania, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Launched in 2021, it is one of several vehicles manufactured by Calidus, along with the LRV-20 lightweight 4×4 and Al Wahash 8×8. The latter was designed by South Africa’s ADG Mobility. The MCAV-20 appears to be powered by a 330 hp engine and protected against ballistic and landmine threats. A ‘smart hull design’ allows for the integration of turrets and weapon stations. The vehicle weighs around 7-9 tons and has a top speed of about 110 km/h.
Also seen during Benin’s 1 August parade were Dongfeng CSK-131, VAB-VTT, BRDM-2 and Puma M36s vehicles. The latter were originally destined for Niger through a United States-sponsored programme, but were instead diverted to Cote d’Ivoire, Benin, and Ghana. The vehicles were built by United Manufacturing Technologies (OTT-USA). A dozen Puma M36s were handed over to Benin’s military in November 2024.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute’s (SIPRI’s) Arms Transfers database, Benin has received various aircraft and land systems in recent years. China in 2022 supplied half a dozen CSK-131 armoured personnel carriers and ten W-86 120 mm mortars, following an October 2021 contract, while, France delivered 30 VAB APCs in 2023/2024.
On the aerial side, Benin received two AS350 helicopters in 2020 and another two in 2023 along with three ex-Jordanian AS532 Super Pumas. One of the AS532s was seen carrying the Beninese flag during the 1 August parade. Last year Benin began delivery of a dozen Cavalon Sentinel gyrocopters from Germany’s AutoGyro, as well as a number of Calidus Sentinel gyros.
For maritime use, the United States in 2023 donated a ten metre patrol boat to Benin, to assist it combat piracy in the Gulf of Guinea. The United States has provided boats to Benin previously – in July 2014 Benin’s navy received a Metal Shark boat from the United States to improve maritime security along the coastline of Benin and its neighbours. In 2010, the US donated two Defender Class Boats.
The buildup of Benin’s military comes as militant Islamist groups step up attacks. According to the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, Benin saw a 129% increase in militant Islamist-linked fatalities over the past year (to 374) — a record high. Benin recorded its first incident of extremist violence in 2019, and the number of recorded attacks by Sahelian terror organisations on Beninese soil has risen every year since.
There were 20 attacks — mostly by the al-Qaida-affiliated Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), but also by the Islamic State group — in 2022 and 40 in 2023, according to The Defence Post.
